Underwater concrete bucket



F. IVI. PRESTON. UNDERWATER CONCRETE-BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, I92l.

Patented Nov. M, )1.922.

I i I I I l Patented Nov. I4, i922.

UNITE STATES FRANK MATTHEW PRESTON, OF VICTORIA, BRITISH COL'UEIBIA, CANADA.

UNDERWATER CONCRETE BUCKET.

Application filed November 7, 1921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MATTHEW IRnsToN, a subject of the King of Great- Britain, and a resident of the city of Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia,

Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underwater Concrete Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in underwater concrete buckets, and the object of my invention is to devise a bucket for use in laying concrete under water from which the water may be excluded during` the dumping of the concrete batch therefrom, thus enabling the concrete to be laid in place without undue disturbance, since by the exclusion of the water from the space formerly occupied by the concrete. the swirl set up in the buckets in use at the present time due to the inrush of water as the concrete leaves the bucket is entirely eliminated so that much more satisfactory results are obtained. I attain this object by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the bucket. Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a view showing` an alternative construction of the lower end of the bucket. The bucket, indicated generally by the numeral 1, is formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, although its shape is immaterial. Longitudinally, however, it must be designed so as to be capable of dumping concrete under gravity only, while in horizontal section it may be circular or any other suitable shape.

In the construction illustrated the bucket 1 consists of a cylindrical upper end 2 and a cylindrical lower end 3 connected together by a tapering intermediate portion 4. The lower end is of less diameter than the upper end and both ends are closed by watertight doors 5 and 6, the lowermost one of which 6 is capable of being opened by means of a trip line 7 led to a suitable point above the surface of the water.

The length of the lower portion 3 may be varied according to the use the bucket vand operated may be briefly described.

Serial No. 513,589.

is put to and may be constructed as shown in F ig. 3, the lower door being then mounted accordingly.

Connected to the upper end of the bucket is an air supply hose 8 the opposite end of 55 which is connected to an air compressor (not shown), this pipe being provided with a suitable safety valve 9, pressure gauge 10, and control valve 11.

The manner in which the device is used In use the bucket is filled with concrete, indicated by the numeral 12, and the watertight cover 5 closed, air then being turned on until the air pressure in the bucket is sufficient to balance the water pressure at the required depth. The bucket is then lowered to the designated position and the lower door 6 opened by means of the trip line 7 so that the concrete is discharged, the op- 70 erator meanwhile controlling the air supply by means of the valve 11 to maintain the air pressure in the bucket constant as the concrete leaves it, from. which it will be seen that the water is prevented from rushing into the bucket so that there is no undue disturbance of the concrete while laying and thus highly satisfactory results are obtained.

In the alternate construction shown in Fig. 3 the lower end or mouth of the bucket is extended on three sides so that the door may operate in a protected position, the door when opened, as indicated by dotted lines, forming the fourth side of the exten- S5 sion.

That I claim as my invention is A device of the character described comprising, an open ended bucket member having an air inlet opening adjacent its upper end and a watertight door for each open end, and a three sided extension on the lower end of the bucket between two sides of which the door swings when opening, the open door forming the fourth side of the extension.

Dated at Victoria, B. C., this 20th day of October, 1921.

FRANK MATTHEW PRESTON. 

